U21 Report: Palace 2-0 Charlton Athletic

Goals either side of half-time by Morgan Ferrier and Reise Allassani ensured Palace's development side chalked up their third straight victory to keep their hopes of a second-place finish alive.

Ferrier, currently a free agent on trial at the club, lashed home the rebound after Michael Chambers had seen a header saved minutes before half-time, and Allassani killed the game off with a late strike to see off their south London rivals with relative ease.

A quiet opening saw Neil Alexander tip over a Jordan Cook effort just three minutes in, and only grasscutters by Piotr Parzyzsek and Stuart O'Keefe troubled either goalkeeper in the opening exchanges.

However Palace settled and created another good chance just after the half-hour mark. Barry Bannan released Ferrier down the left and after he beat Aaron Barnes, Jerome Williams could only hit the ball straight at Dillon Phillips after receiving the striker's cutback.

A minute before taking the lead, the Eagles had given their opponents a warning when Adlene Guedioura rattled the woodwork. The Algerian was found on the edge of the box, and in the same movement turned a defender and curled the ball towards the top corner which Phillips did well to tip onto the inside of the post and watch fly away to safety.

But 60 seconds later the hosts were celebrating as Ferrier put them in front. Bannan dinked a free-kick into the box which was headed towards goal by Chambers, and after Phillips had pushed away that effort he was powerless to stop the trialist smashing home the loose ball.

Seconds after the restart the Addicks should have equalised when an unmarked Parzyzsek ballooned the ball over the bar from just four yards out after being picked out by Jordan, and Guedioura continued to show his quality as he attempted an audacious overhead kick that was well saved.

The visitors wasted another opportunity to draw level on 64 minutes when Jordan once again had room down the left and found Harry Gerard but he spooned the ball over, and Bannan could have wrapped the game up two minutes later when the Scot raced onto a ricochet which had bounced kindly into the Charlton half, and his attempted chip from 35 yards was fractions away from finding the net.

Gary Issott's side came even closer when Guedioura again forced Phillips to tip his shot from just outside the box onto the post for a second time, but they did find the killer goal 14 minutes from time. Kyle De Silva drifted into the area and found Reise Allassani, and he had time to take a touch and pick his spot to seal the victory.

A minute later Phillips again denied Guedioura a deserved goal when he pushed over his half-volley from point-blank range, and Alexander ensured his clean sheet stayed in tact with a low save from Harry Lennon as Issott's side continue to close in on a play-off place.